If you are leading in a context where you have enough musicians to serve on a rotation, then considering how to schedule a team will become an increasingly more regular part of your weekly responsibilities gearing up for a weekend.
Of course, you need to think through the practicalities of how you communicate with a team. What kinds of rhythms and expectations to set with the team, you will also need to think through some of the intangibles.
Intangibles like:
What voices sound the best together?
What team members can complement one another’s style of playing?
How can I balance stronger musicians with less experienced musicians?
What are the rhythms for serving that work best in the lives of our team?
How will these songs work with the specific team that will be tasked with leading the setlist in a weekend?
As my team has grown, my month has a similar outline:
Two weeks before a new month, I send my whole team an email letting them know to enter any blockout dates for weekends they will not be available to serve.
I start listing out songs that I think will work with the sermon text, determine any new songs, and begin to get a 30,000-foot view of the services a month at a time. This helps me keep an eye out for things like Baptism, Communion, or special announcements that need to be included in our gathering and will shift the time, or amount of songs in a service.
The week before a month begins I schedule my team via Planning Center. As people confirm or decline, I know there will be specific spots to fill, and as this happens I have a better sense of how to tailor the set list to fit the team.
Every Tuesday I email the team who is serving to confirm for them the set list and song keys.
This pattern has taken time to develop, and in every place I have served as found a unique rhythm. Consistency is key in your scheduling and communication. But because people are not widgets, you have to invest time into being a student of your team, to serve them well in your scheduling.
If you’re looking for other resources for your team, you may find these posts helpful as well:
How to build a team without musicians.